Hi,
Last week my 8 year old male mini Schnauzer had his vaccinations and got put on meds to get rid of tapeworm - yuk! I also had a small mole removed from his back. So he's had lots of stuff going on lately. a couple days ago I noticed his pee looked like it had some blood in it. He pees alot and at the end when he's squeezing it out, it's red.

So, I took a urine sample to the vet. She phoned today and said that she didn't notice any bacteria and did notice some small crystals. She said I need to book him for an xray and that he may need to get surgery to remove stones.

Is there anything I can try first to get rid of the crystals? he's on natural balance bison and sweet pototoe now. He seems fine, eats well, drinks lots.

Hi There
Sorry you're going through this with your baby, I know how difficult it is. Did she tell you what type of crystals/stones they are? The treatment is very different for each type. There's Calcium Oxylate and Struvite. Unfortunately, I have had to deal with both. Our senior Malamute developed the Calcium Oxylate, and the only treatment for those, unfortunately, is surgery. I wouldn't waste any time with it, if it is Oxylate stones/crystals. My boy, Thorin, had one that was very large and jagged, lodged in his tube and could have created a blockage, which is emergency time. Our vet said he must have been in excruciating pain, though the poor boy never showed it.

Our other Malamute, a 2.5 yr old has been dealing with Struvites for almost a year now. Those can be reduced/eliminated with diet. Struvites are often caused by a high PH. There is also medication to help reduce the PH in the urine, but I would try a diet change before giving any medication. But that's just me

I'm assuming that since your vet has already stated surgery, they are most likely Oxylate.

Good luck and let us know how your boy is doing!

__________________
"Obey my dog!" - Mugatu

"Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!" ~ Theophile Gautier

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!

We got an xray today and he definately has stones and from the urine sample, it looks like it the C.O. stones. Dang it. Surgery for $1100-$1300! The money part sucks and especially when they tell you the stones can come back anyway.
But eventhough he seems ok, I can't stand to see the blood and I certainly don't want it to get worse. Poor little guy, the thought that surgery may become a part of his old age is very sad to me.

We got an xray today and he definately has stones and from the urine sample, it looks like it the C.O. stones. Dang it. Surgery for $1100-$1300! The money part sucks and especially when they tell you the stones can come back anyway.
But eventhough he seems ok, I can't stand to see the blood and I certainly don't want it to get worse. Poor little guy, the thought that surgery may become a part of his old age is very sad to me.

I am sorry to hear your dog is having health issues. It is horrible how expensive vet bills can be. I feel this is one reason people end having to give their pets up . Will your vet let you make a payment plan ?

I'm so sorry. I know how you feel because my boy was 11 when we went through it with him. One thing I can say is that after the surgery to remove them, the stones never did come back. But we lost him to cancer in March at 12 yrs old.

$1,100-$1,200 seems very high to me. My Thorin weighed 76 pounds, was neutered at the same time the stones were removed and it cost us just over $800. We had it done at a clinic in Devon. The smaller, surrounding area vets are much more reasonable, but if you do go that route, make sure you check reviews before taking your baby to anyone. Good luck

__________________
"Obey my dog!" - Mugatu

"Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!" ~ Theophile Gautier

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life!